Volunteer placements
Volunteer roles
There are many different opportunities for volunteers at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The placements vary according to the need of patients and staff and we provide advice and support to ensure that you get the placement that suits you best.
Main volunteer roles
Here are just a few of the types of volunteer roles that the Hospital has on offer. The specifics of each of the roles will vary from ward to department.
- Administration—these volunteers help staff with filing, photocopying, collecting notes in departments around the Hospital
- Reception—these volunteers provide a warm welcome to visitors and help direct them around the Hospital and deal with any other general enquiries
- Patient Support Volunteers—this exciting new project has been funded by the Friends of Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Charity. The aim of the project is to provide a service where the public can request a volunteer visit for a friend or relative who is in the Hospital. For more information about this project please click here.
- Breastfeeding Peer Supporters—based in maternity these volunteers provide support and advice to new mothers (note that applicants must be 18+ and have had previous personal experience)
- Meet and Greet Volunteers—these volunteers support patients in waiting areas by offering tea and coffee, chatting and generally being a friendly face.
- Catering Support Volunteers—volunteers to support the distribution of meals during lunch/supper times.
For more information on any of the above roles please contact the Volunteer Department.
Other volunteer roles
In addition to the volunteer roles outlined above there are several other more specialised opportunities throughout the hospital. To find out more or to apply to be a volunteer please click on the links below:
Chaplaincy volunteers
Working closely with our Multi-Faith Chaplaincy team these volunteers help offer spiritual support to patients of all or no faiths. For more information or to apply please email volunteering@chelwest.nhs.uk.
Hospital Radio
These volunteers work in our brand new radio ‘pod’ situated on the second floor of the hospital. This team of broadcasters, administrators and technicians provide free radio entertainment for patients throughout the Hospital as well as using a team of volunteers to visit wards to chat to patients and take requests for the radio shows. For more information or to apply please email them at info@radiocw.org or click here to visit their website.
Friends of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
This well-established charity fundraises for the hospital through its Friends Shop, Patient and Staff Library Book Sales, Bric-a-Brac and commercial sales, and the hairdressing salon. It also holds an annual major fundraising event, fairs and other activities. For more information click here or to apply to join the Friends please call 020 3315 8825 or click here to visit their website.
Macmillan Volunteers
This group of volunteers work specifically with cancer patients and support them through traditional volunteering duties as well as offering complementary therapies and an excellent information service. For more information or to apply please click here to visit their website.
St Stephen’s Volunteers
This group of volunteers works specifically within our world class HIV centre, supporting patients on the wards and in the outpatient department as well as providing a comprehensive information service and running other services. Volunteering opportunities are also available at our Dean Street Clinic in Soho. For more information or to apply please click here to visit their website.
Who can volunteer?
Anyone over the age of 16 can apply to be a volunteer. You don’t have to live locally or have specific experience; instead we are just looking for motivated, friendly people who can commit to helping out on a regular basis (a minimum of 3 hours per week for at least 6 months). Please note we cannot take volunteers who are only available during holiday periods.
How do you apply to be a volunteer?
Before you apply to become a volunteer at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust please consider some basic questions such as:
- Do you enjoy dealing with people?
- Are you fit and well?
- Can you attend regularly (at least 3 hours a week for at least 6 months)?
- Are you legally allowed to work in the UK?
If you can answer yes to all these questions then you are the sort of person we are looking for to join our team of volunteers. Please email us at volunteering@chelwest.nhs.uk and tell us a little about yourself, why you would like to volunteer here and the type of roles you are interested in. Please note that due to popular demand, we sometimes close recruitment for certain roles.
What are the next steps?
If we have suitable placements available we will send you a Volunteer Enquiry Form. Once we have received your completed Enquiry form, we will invite you complete the full application, followed by an interview at the hospital with the Volunteer Services and Work Experience Manager who assesses your suitability for the role of a volunteer. Please note the invitation to application stage will depend on the availability of our roles. Hospital volunteering is popular and we occasionally have to close roles when we are oversubscribed.
If you are successful at interview you will be required to complete further documentation including a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) form and an Occupational Health Form. Your start date is dependent on us receiving these forms back, as well as receiving two valid references. The entire application process can take from 1–3 months.
